According to a study conducted by John Hopkins University in the USA, men are five and a half times more likely than women to develop hearing loss as they age, starting as young as 20. Out of the 28 million Americans with hearing loss, over 60% of them are men.
Experts say that this difference in hearing is due to environmental factors, as men are more likely to suffer from noise-induced hearing loss in the workplace. Men are also less likely to wear hearing protection in noisy situations.
A study published by the American Journal of Medicine also found that regular use of aspirin, acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs increased the risk of hearing loss in adult men younger than 60.
At the age of 80, the prevalence of hearing loss in men and women evens out. That being said, there are still notable differeances between the two sexes in regard to how they are affected by hearing loss. Women lose hearing in the lower frequencies first, meaning they have more trouble understanding vowels. Men, on the other hand, lose hearing in the higher frequencies, meaning they have more problems understanding consonants.
A report by ABC News concludes, “Men are more likely to need hearing aids, but women are more likely to wear them.”
Taken from Resound News: http://www.resoundconnect.com.au/aus-in-your-ear/how-does-hearing-loss-affect-men-vs-women